Jayne Ain't a Girl
by AgentRusco
Summary: A piece of Jayne's childhood and eventual insights into his present state. Rating may get higher as the story progresses, after all, it's about Jayne. Reviews of any kind keep the muse alive.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** _Muse came back in the middle of the night while I was tryin' unsuccessfully to sleep. I had to write the beginning of this to the blinding light of my lappy and all groggy and crud.

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"Jayne's a girl's name!" A clump of mud hit the scrawny twelve-year-old in the forehead as he attempted to duck. "Don't cry little girl!" Hodd, the leader of the band of older kids mocked Jayne as he wiped the splattered mess from his face. Jayne had no intention of crying. He simply looked mournfully at the older boys.

"Ain't a girl" he protested weakly. The boys laughed.

Jayne was finally left to himself after being dosed liberally in cold mud. The others left laughing and shoving one another about. Jayne walked homeward slowly, hoping that the drizzling rain would wash most of the mud away before he had to confront his mother.

The mud was not all washed out when he arrived home, so Jayne's mother had three things to be angry with him about. "Child! You are a mess! And drenched to the bone! The damp lung'll surely get you, boy. And whyever are you so late?" Her eyebrows crinkled together in annoyance.

"Sorry, ma, I tripped an' fell…" Jayne trailed off as the eyebrows of doom furrowed further.

"Them boys've been pickin' on you again! You can't let em do that forever. Here, get outta them wet clothes!" She handed him a blanket and sent him to the back room to change.

Jayne wrung his dirty clothes and spread them out on the bench that lined the back wall. It would be some time before they could be properly washed and dried, what with the near constant rainfall.

Jayne was about to reenter the kitchen when he heard the front door slam and his father's guff voice filled the house.

"_Ai ya_, it's wet out."

"Yes, dear, it's called rain." His mother quipped.

"Don't talk to me like that." Jayne's father was in one of those moods again. Jayne decided to remain in the back room. He crouched by the door listening to his mother trying to placate his father.

"Where're them boys anyhow?" His father finally bellowed. "They should be here."

"They're out, Hal, doin' chores." This seemed to satisfy Hal Cobb for the time being. When he was settled down to his dinner Jayne's mother scuffed over to the back room. She thrust a packet of food into Jayne's hands.

"Take this to the loft and share with yer brother." Jayne simply nodded and slipped past his mother and through the kitchen to the rickety ladder. Years of avoiding his father had taught him exactly which rungs creaked and where. He made it up without arousing his brooding father's attention. Jayne then tiptoed to the back and settled down on a straw mat where his five-year-old brother sat.

"Got food." He said, tearing the package open to reveal some bland protein bars. He broke one in half and offered it to his brother. The smaller boy reached tentatively for it. Jayne swung his hand away with a lopsided grin. "Naw. Why'ud I give it to you?" His twinkling eyes gave away his joke and soon both boys were munching happily.

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**A/N**: _Ok, so here's the deal. The little bother is Mattie. If you recall, Jayne's mother mentions Mattie in her letter to Jayne in 'The Message.' My thoughts are that Jayne's pa is a _hwoon dahn_ and all that. He kinda beats the boys around a bit. So the little brother is not right in the head. This will explain why he lives with the mother still in 'The Message.' Also it can explain why Jayne is rather protective and yes even sympathetic toward River. So soonly, next chapter perhaps, Jayne is gonna find his backbone. He is gonna protect his mum and lil bro from his pa. Or, mebbe in the next chappie he'll confront the bullies. Anyhow. He will end up the bully cos that's all he knew. Then I'll go into some more stuff and crud. Tell me what you think. Also, give me a better idea for a title. This one kinda sucks._


	2. Chapter 2

Jayne had finally had enough. The night before, his father had yelled at him about being bullied. He had then proceeded to shove the boy about until Jayne stood firm. So when the boys taunted him, he stood firm with a scowl, waiting for them to do more than taunt.

"Oooo, he looks mad today. Don't hurt us Jaynie. We give up!" Hodd put his hands in the air in mock surrender.

"The _hwoon-dahn_ is starting to look pretty much like his _hwoon-dahn_ pa." Steven stated in a stage whisper.

"That doesn't even make any sense!" A third boy chimed in. All five boys began to laugh uproariously.

So now Jayne was fed up. He bore little love for his father, but he had finally had enough of these boys. He suddenly tore into them. At first they laughed as he charged them with his fists clenched. But it wasn't long before howls of pain took over. They were ready to take him seriously.

Jayne went for Hodd first. His left fist smashed into the bigger boy's jaw before Hodd could block it. The left was followed by a quick right uppercut to the diaphragm. Hodd grunted deeply and landed on his rear in the mud. Jayne had no idea how he had learned to fight. It all suddenly just came to him. After only a few more punches the five bullies backed off.

Jayne was victorious, but not all together unscathed. Hodd had caught him in the side of the head with his fingernails and blood oozed from the two shallow cuts. He also had gathered a number of new bruises from the resistance he had faced. To top it off, his knuckles were split from hard contact.

Jayne did not even consider his minor injuries. He walked home in high spirits. "_Ai ya_, it feels good to beat on people!" he shouted to the drizzling rain.

The fight did not exactly make his mother happy, but she was relieved that he would not be beaten up anymore. She efficiently tended to his battle wounds while chiding him fiercely. He could only grin like an idiot. His father, on the other hand was elated not only that Jayne had stood up to the boys but that he had beaten them soundly.

"And, boy, don't you dare whinge about your knuckles. Jist go ahead and keep workin' 'em out on thick skulls." He laughed and proceeded to show Jayne his own meaty hands. Sure enough, there were scars from lacerations just like Jayne's. Jayne appraised them admiringly.

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**A/N: **_Ok, so it is apparent that my muse for this story left. I have the basic idea though. Jayne becomes endeared to dad. Jayne becomes big bully and terrorizes all kindsa kids. But Jayne still loves mum and lil bro and cares for them. At some point as he's a bit older, dad takes him somewhere and gets in a brawl and kills people and stuff. Then something happens. And crud. At some point dad hits lil bro and he becomes a bit off in the head. Jayne is kinda tormented by his dad's actions, but still wants his approval. You know the drill. Anyhow. At some point the two of them are somewhere and Reavers come. Jayne escapes unscathed, but dad doesn't. In fact, dad dies. This sorta explains why Jayne is meanish and bullyish. It also explains his rather unseemly fear of Reavers. And also his love for Mum and Mattie (who I've assumed is his brother.)_

_So. At some point I hope to actually write it all out. But for now, you have my idea. Love it. It is all I got right now._


End file.
